Curtain-fixture.



PATENTED APR. 7, 1908.

CURTAIN FIXTURE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. 1905.

P. A. HOUGHTALING.

THE NURRIS PETERS ca, wAsumcrcy. o c.

. UNITED STATES PATENT onnion.

PAUL A. HOUGHTALING, OF RIVERION, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE CURTAIN SUPPLY COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY CURTAIN-FIXTURE;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL A. HOUGHTAL ING, a citizen of the United States, residing in Riverton, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to an improved device for frictionally holding a shade or curtain in a given position against the tendency of its spring roller to roll it up or raise it.

More particularly the invention has to do with that special type of curtain structure in which the lower end of the curtain is provided with frictional retaining devices normally held, by means of outwardly acting springs, in engagement with the bottoms of the grooves in the window frame within which the curtain operates.

The object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive structure which shall be applicable to the curtain rod carried in the lower portion of the curtain and which shall co-act with springs in the curtain rod to automatically retain the curtain in any given position against the action of its spring roller. This object I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1, is a vertical section of a curtain rod illustrating the application of my invention thereto, and Fig. 2, is a modified form of the invention.

The curtain fixture forming the subject of my invention includes bars carried within the tubular curtain rod and normally pressed outwardly by means of springs. Each of these bars has loosely pinned to it a friction shoe designed to engage the bottom of the curtain-guiding groove of a window frame; the pin connecting said bar with the shoe op erating in a cam groove formed either in the shoe or in the end of the bar, in such manner that the act of moving the curtain rod by hand to any given position causes said bars to move inwardly and to compress the springs under the action of the curtain roller, thereby causing the shoes to frictionally grip the bottoms of their respective window frame grooves and so hold the curtain from further motion.

In Fig. 1, of the above drawing, A represents a curtain rod of the well known form, in

each end of which is a relatively short bar B carrying a shoe 0. Each bar is forked at the end and is normally pressed outwardly by Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 29, 1905.

Patented April 7, 1908.

Serial No. 267,477.

means of a spring I), confined in position by a pin 6 passing through the curtain rod. It will be seen that the shoe C is provided with an elongated slot for the reception of the pin 5 of the bar B, which slot is inclined to the line of the groove in the window frame.

The surface of the shoe adjacent to the face or bottom of the groove of the window frame is preferably curved so as to be convex to the bottomof the groove, with the result that the upward movement of the curtain rod and it's shoes as a 'whole, first results in a rocking action of said shoes which tends to force the bars B away from the bearing faces of their respective guiding grooves in the window frame. It will further be noted that the force of the spring roller tending to move upwardly the curtain rod A, results in an upward movementof said curtain rod and its bars B relatively to its shoes C; the pins 19 sliding in the inclined cam slots of said shoes to permit of this movement. Said sliding motion, however, forces the bars B farther away from the bearing surface D of the window frame grooves, and further compresses the sprin s b, the result being that the heads or shoes are pressed toward said surface D with a force sufficient to prevent any but a very slight upward movement of the curtain as a whole. I

If desired, the heads or shoes C may be made in box form, as shown at C in Fig. 2, and the cam slot, instead of being formed in the head, mav be formed in an enlarged end portion 6 of the bar B. The pin in this case extends between the two side members, as indicated at c; the action of the device in any case being the same as above noted. It will be understood that, if desired, each shoe or head may be made with its bearing surface fiat or parallel to the bottom surface D of the groove in the window frame, as indicated at c.

If desired, the springs b may be omitted. and the bars B immovably connected to the curtain rod A. In any case a slight upward motion of the curtain rod under the action of the spring curtain roller will cause the heads or shoes C to jam between the ends of the said bars and the bearing faces or bottoms of the window frame grooves, thereby retaining the curtain in the desired position.

I claim as my invention:

1. A holding devlce for a curtain consistmg of a curtain rod, sprln actuated bars,

and shoes carried by said bars, one of the a members comprised by a bar and its shoe having a cam groove and the other having a pin operative in the groove for retaining the curtain rod in any desired position, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a wind ow frame having curtain-guiding grooves, of a curtain holding device including a curtain rod, two spring actuated bars carried thereby, and a shoe for each bar, each bar and its shoe being connected by a pin operative in a groove inclined to the line of the Window frame grooves, substantially as described.

3. A curtain holding device consisting of a curtain rod having a shoe on each end, one of the members comprised by the rod andashoe having a cam groove normally inclined to the line of movement of the curtain and the other having a pin operative in said groove, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a window frame having curtain guiding grooves, of a curtain holding device including a curtain bar, and a shoe connected directly thereto in engagement with the bottom of one of said grooves, said connection permitting the shoe to be bodily movable transversely and independent of the bar and the engaging face of the shoe being convex to the surface of its groove, with means for causing the convex surface of the shoe to frictionally hold upon the bottom of the groove when the curtain bar is moved upwardly.

5. The combination with a window frame having curtain-guiding grooves, of a curtain holding device including a curtain rod, and two shoes carried therebyin engagement with the bottoms of said grooves, the engaging faces of said shoes being convex to the surfaces of their respective grooves, one of the members comprised by a shoe and the curtain rod having a cam slot normally inclined to the line of the window-frame groove, and the other having a pin operative in said slot, substantially as described.

6. A holding device for a curtain consisting of a curtain rod, and two shoes carried thereby, each shoe having in it a slot which, in the normal position of the shoe, is inclined to the line of movement of the curtain rod, and said rod having pins 0 erative in the slots of the shoes, substantial y as described.

7. A holding device for a curtain consisting of a tubular curtain rod having s ring actuated bars in its ends, each bar eing forked and provided with a pin, with a shoe fitti-n in each bar and provided with an incline slot for the reception of the pin thereof, substantially as described.

8. In a curtain holding device, thecombination of a rod, an elongated shoe at the end thereof arranged to engage a window casing, and means for connectin the shoe directly to the end of the rod, said means being constructed and arranged to permit the shoe to turn or move inde endently of the rod in a direction at an ang e transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rod and longitudinally of the shoe. V

9. In a curtain-holding" device, the combination of a stick, an elongated shoe carried by the stick at the end thereof, and a slot and pin connection between the shoe and the stick constructed and arranged to permit pivotal movement of the shoe and independent movement thereof transversely at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the sltlick, and in a direction longitudinally of said s 0e.

10. In a curtain holding device, the combination of a spring actuated rod, an elongated shoe carried by the rod at the end thereof, the engaging face of said shoe being convex, and a connection for the shoe at the end of the rod the connection being constructed to permit pivotal or turning movement of the shoe relative to the rod and independent movement thereof in a direction at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shoe, and transversely of the rod.

11. In a curtain-holding device, the combination of a stick, a spring-actuated rod carried by the stick, a shoe at the end of the rod and means whereby the shoe has pivotal or turning movement relative to the rod, said means including a pin and slot connection between the shoe and rod, the slot extending longitudinally of the shoe at an angle.

12. In a curtain-holding device, the combination of a stick, spring-actuated bar longitudinally movable relative to the stick, a friction shoe connected directly to said bar and means whereby the shoe has pivotal or turning movement relative to the bar and bodily movement at an angle relative to said bar.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to. this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL A. HOUGHTALING.

Witnesses:

WM. E. SHUPE, Jos. H. KLEIN. 

